A fuel cell which is made by stacking an insulating material between planar sheet electrodes to form an assembly and clamping the assembly together is known. The known cell has several disadvantages: Sealing of the component parts is difficult. Leakage of electrolyte and gas readily occurs. When the gaseous fuel used in the cell is hydrogen, obivously leakage is not only undesirable but very dangerous. Furthermore, the method of manufacture of the known cell inherently requires handling of the sheets and the electrode material. Modern electrode materials, engineered to be characterized by maximum high current density capabilities, are often characterized by vulnerable porous surfaces; handling such electrode materials can result in contamination of the pores or the porous surfaces thereof and blockage thereof. Because of the fact that these materials are generally pliable sheets, such damage may readily occur on handling. The known method is combersome and does not lend itself to automation.